OF THE POLAR SEA. 77 
harnessed at a very early hour, and the winter 
operations commenced by sending for a supply of 
fish from Swampy River, where men had been 
stationed to collect it, just before the frost set in. 
Both men and dogs appeared to enjoy the change ; 
they started in full glee, and drove rapidly along. 
An Indian, who had come to the house on the 
preceding evening to request some provision for 
his family, whom he represented to be in a state 
of starvation, accompanied them. His party had 
been suffering greatly under the epidemic diseases 
of the hooping-cough and measles ; and the hun- 
ters were still in too debilitated a state to go out 
and provide them with meat. A supply was 
given to him, and the men were directed to bring 
his father, an old and faithful hunter, to the 
house, that he might have the comforts of nourish- 
ment and warmth. He was brought accordingly, 
but these attentions were unavailing as he died.a 
few days afterwards. Two days before his death 
d was surprised to observe him sitting for nearly 
three hours, in a piercingly sharp day, in the 
saw-pit, employed in gathering the dust, and 
throwing it by handfuls over his body, which was 
naked to the waist. As the man was in posses- 
sion of his mental faculties, I conceived he was 
performing some devotional act preparatory to his 
departure, which he felt to be approaching ; and, 
